The Bewdley Community Arts Foundation, a new initiative to be launched by Bewdley Festival, will fund arts-based activities that support, inspire and delight the citizens of Bewdley and Wyre Forest.
By providing funding and resources, facilitating and enabling access to creative activities (such as music, drama, painting, poetry, etc) for those most in need, BCAF will be a catalyst that helps to make a positive change to people’s lives.
As a grant making body, BCAF will provide funding to support young people, the elderly and the disadvantaged to access creative engagement activities that are a catalyst for:
- People to develop skills for life.
- Growth and development.
- Positive and inspiring learning experiences.
- Enhanced community engagement.
Background
The creation of the Bewdley Festival Arts Foundation (BCAF) represents the next stage of Bewdley Festival’s vision for securing resources for the arts in our community for future generations.
Taking part in creative activities is now widely recognised as having a positive effect on many areas of life.
Throughout its existence, Bewdley Festival has aspired to support the arts in Bewdley and the Wyre Forest by investing in various projects, both large and small scale.
From acting as the major partner in the redevelopment of St Georges Hall in 2013, to the creation of the Bewdley Youth Festival, we have a solid and unique track record of delivering innovative, rigorously managed and successful arts based initiatives for the community.
The Trustees and the Organising Committee believe that it is particularly appropriate, in light of the impact of the pandemic on so many, that the Festival should now use their expertise to build further on what has already been achieved since Bewdley Festival was founded in 1988.
Scope and Purpose
As a grant making body, BCAF will provide funding to support young people, the elderly and the disadvantaged to access creative engagement activities that are a catalyst for:
- People to develop skills for life.
- Growth and development.
- Positive and inspiring learning experiences.
- Enhanced community engagement.
We aim to do this by:
- Ensuring that everyone in these three groups within our community has the opportunity to enjoy the life-changing benefits that come from the medium of the arts.
- Helping people achieve their arts goals and ambitions by supplying financial support.
- Providing one off payments or on-going support through scholarship style funding.
- Enabling access to those who would not normally engage, to benefit from arts-based experiences.
We will achieve our aims by granting funds for a variety of activities and initiatives. For example:
- Lessons in a fully diverse range of music, popular music, drama, dance, written word, painting, sculpture, etc.
- The provision of arts equipment.
- Skills workshops.
- The purchase and maintenance of assets.
- Scholarships to undertake further learning.
Strategy
Supporting BCAF
BCAF will develop a dialogue and relationships with like-minded individual benefactors, charities and foundations, who are committed to using the arts to provide community benefits, and who, by working with Bewdley Festival, will achieve their own charitable and grant making aims and objectives.
By the 31st March 2021, as part of our three year plan we want to raise £10,000 from donations and legacies, plus, a further £10,000 from a public relations campaign and crowd funding.
If you or your organisation feel that you can help the Bewdley Community Arts Fund realise these ambitions or would like further information about this wonderful initiative, please contact Bewdley Festival via email:
admin@bewdleyfestival.org.uk
or by phone on 01299 404808